Ruling on Wudoo (for ladies)

[bamalli]

Ruling on Wudoo (for ladies)

compiled by Adil Khan


Removing nail polish before making wudoo

If the nail polish forms an impermeable layer that prevents water from
reaching the surface of the nail, her wudoo' is not valid unless she first
removes it. If she wears something like henna that does not create an
impermeable layer, then her wudoo' is valid.

*if one cuts one's nails after wudhu?*

As far as cutting the nails is concerned, this does not mean that one has to
repeat wudoo', and in fact doing so is not encouraged.


*She is pregnant and cannot lift up her feet to wash them when doing wudoo*

Washing the feet is one of the obligatory parts of wudoo', without which it
is not valid, according to the consensus of the companions of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

You can ward off hardship from yourself by doing one of two things:

1 – Pour water over your feet with a cup or your hand, etc, without lifting
them up. If the water reaches the entire foot then you have washed them as
required, and your purification is valid. You do not have to rub them with
your hand.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Our view is that rubbing the
parts of the body when doing ghusl and wudoo' is sunnah and is not
obligatory, If he pours water over it and does not wipe it with his hand, or
he immerses it in a large amount of water, that is sufficient and his wudoo'
and ghusl are valid. This is the view of all the scholars except Maalik and
al-Muzani, who stipulated that this is a condition of ghusl and wudoo' being
valid. End quote from *al-Majmoo'* (2/214)

2 – You can do wudoo' at home and wash your feet, then put on socks. Then if
you want to do wudoo' after that, it is sufficient to wipe over the socks,
for 24 hours, so long as you stay in the same city, and for 72 hours if you
are travelling.


*Is wudoo' valid if there are traces of makeup?*

In order for wudoo' to be valid it is essential to remove anything that may
prevent the water from reaching the skin, such as wax, dough, sticky
substances and the like, so that the purpose of washing those parts of the
body in wudoo' may be achieved.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

*"O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salaah (the prayer), wash
your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet
hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to the ankles"*

*[al-Maa'idah 5:6]*

It says in *al-Insaaf* (1/144): Among the conditions of wudoo' being valid
is removing anything that may prevent water reaching that part of the body.

Al-Nawawi said in *al-Mawdoo'* (1/492): If there is any wax, dough or henna'
etc on his body and that prevents the water from reaching any part of that
limb, then his wudoo' is not valid, whether there is a lot of that or a
little. If there is any trace or colour of henna left on the hand etc, but
not the henna itself, or there is a trace of fat or oil such that when the
water touches the skin it will run over it, but not stay, then his wudoo' is
valid. End quote.

From this is may be understood that if makeup has been removed before doing
wudoo' and only the colour is left, then wudoo' is valid. Based on this, if
the makeup prevents the water from reaching the skin, then wudoo' is not
valid, but if it is just colour or there is a little of it left that does
not prevent the water reaching the skin, then wudoo' is valid.


*Doing wudoo' when wearing lipstick*

In order for wudoo' to be valid, it is essential to remove anything that
will prevent the water from reaching the skin, whether it is lipstick or
anything else. But if the colour or trace of it is left, even if the water
touches the skin and runs off it without sticking, then wudoo' is valid.

Al-Nawawi said in *al-Majmoo'* (1/492):

If there is wax, dough, henna and the like on one of his limbs, which
prevents water from reaching any part of it, then his tahaarah is not valid,
whether the amount is large or small. If there are traces of henna and its
colour left on the hand, without there being any solid material left, or
elsewhere, or traces of liquid grease whereby water flows over the limb but
does not stay there, his tahaarah is valid. End quote.

Based on this, you should remove the lipstick before you do wudoo', so that
there will be nothing left that could prevent the water from reaching the
skin, but if the colour or a trace of grease is left, that does not matter.

*Does nail polish invalidate wudoo' and do the prayers have to be repeated?*

One of the conditions of tahaarah (purification) being valid is that the
water must touch the skin. If there is any barrier such as grease, paint,
wax or glue that prevents water reaching the skin, then the tahaarah is not
valid and prayers offered in that case are not valid.

The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) to Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him): "If you
find water, then let it touch your skin, for that is good." Narrated by Abu
Dawood (332); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Sa*heeh Abi Dawood*.

Imam al-Shaafa'i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

If there is on him any mastic or anything thick that will prevent the water
from reaching the skin, his washing of that part for wudoo' is not valid,
unless he removes it or removes enough so that he knows that there is no
barrier to the water touching the skin.

*Al-Umm* (1/44).

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

If there is wax, dough, henna and the like on one of his limbs, which
prevents water from reaching any part of it, then his tahaarah is not valid,
whether the amount is large or small. If there are traces of henna and its
colour left on the hand, without there being any solid material left, or
elsewhere, or traces of liquid grease whereby water flows over the limb but
does not stay there, his tahaarah is valid.

If the colour is impermeable, then wudoo' is not valid unless it is removed
before doing wudoo'. If it is not impermeable, then wudoo' is valid, as is
the case with henna.